Prime minister elect Imran Khan has said that under him Pakistan will always play the role of a peace broker
The newly elected leader of Pakistan has given an indication of the direction of the foreign policy of the country under his stewardship.
Already, the former cricket captain has made conciliatory overtures to India and Afghanistan. He has also proffered to work for peace in the Middle East and possibly mediate in the intractable rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Hear Mr Khan :
“Saudi Arabia is a friend who has always stood by us in difficult times. Our aim will be that whatever we can do for conciliation in the Middle East, we want to play that role. Those tensions, that fight, between neighbours, we will try to bring them together.” He added that he would also seek “stronger ties with Iran.”
Being an ally and a neighbour respectively, Pakistan has always tried to walk a tightrope when dealing with Iran and Saudi Arabia. The country has long had an awkward relationship with the rival Gulf superpowers considering that they are the pre-eminent Sunni and Shia Muslim states. The rivals have waged a bitter sectarian conflict through proxies across the Middle East and beyond for decades. They also exert a dangerous influence on Pakistan’s own simmering religious tensions.
Considering that Pakistan cannot avoid dealing with either, successive governments have tried to walk a fine line between Tehran and Riyadh.
No comments:
Post a Comment